Ellis island – a piece of land at the mouth of the Hudson, a particular point in American history: millions of eyes looked hopefully from here on the torch in the hand of the statue of Liberty. More than six decades, the island was the largest in the U.S. the point of reception of immigrants.

Once there was oyster-bed, which was executed pirates. During the war for independence the island was bought by the merchant Samuel Ellis and opened a tavern here. So the island had a name. In 1808 the state of new York bought Ellis island and resold it to the Federal government, they built a barracks and then the battery, which never had to defend the city. For eighty years there was a military post of Fort Gibson.

A little later in a New Light gushing waves of immigration. From 1836 to 1914 in the USA went in search of a new life more than 30 million Europeans. Couldn't stop them neither poverty nor the conditions of the voyage across the Atlantic: in the sea were dying every seventh. At first, the survivors set foot on the land of Manhattan, but in 1892 the government opened an immigration center on Ellis island. First through it was thirteen-year-old Irish girl Annie Moore: the head of the centre, Colonel John Weber gave her gold ten dollars.

The first building of the centre has not survived, burned down in 1897. New built of red brick, designed by architect Edward Rippington of Tilton and William Boring. There were huge rooms with bunk beds, a dining room in a thousand places, Laundry, hospital. Increased and the island itself, Svezia here the ground excavated during the construction of the new York subway. April 17, 1907, the centre has set a record: this day have gone through it 11747 people, and each of them spent three to five hours.

Arrivals climbed the stairs in reception room, the doctors were watching them from above ("chastisement physical examination"). Clothing chalk set symbology: lame, out of breath (this could mean a bad heart, or tuberculosis). Suggested test: from pieces of wood to fold the boat. Not folded – moronic. In the years of mass immigration so were selected to 20 percent of arrivals. Denied single women, but took brides. In 1907 on the ship "Baltic" arrived more than a thousand brides – pre-charged ready to marry American men. Many were married right on the island.

Center worked until 1954, have gone through more than twelve million immigrants. It now houses the immigration Museum is the only tourist attraction of the island. Ellis extraordinarily popular with Americans: through these gates were the ancestors of the current one hundred million citizens. For Americans, this is sacred ground.

The core of the Museum collection – vintage photos with stories of entire families. Visitors learn stored here hundreds of the ship's logs: suddenly there is the name of the grandfather. "Island of hope and tears" – the so-called Ellis island. Hope – because twelve million pilgrims set foot here on earth new homeland. Tears – because 3,500 immigrants died in a local hospital. 1400 of them children, who have not found the promised land.

Now the Museum is temporarily closed for major repairs after hurricane sandy, not sparing a small island in 2012.